International Terminal Tour

Stop 1

Find the SFO BART Station. BART stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit. BART provides train service to San Francisco, the East Bay and the Peninsula. There are 43 stations and five different train lines in the BART system. SFO is on BART's "yellow line," which starts at the airport and ends at the Pittsburg/Bay Point station. Can you name two other stations on the yellow line?

Stop 2

Go to the center of the terminal and look to the back wall. Can you find the artwork called Gateway by artist Ik-Joong Kang. This artwork is made up of 5,265 small tiles or cubes. The artist began working on these cubes when he was a student and traveled long distances to his various part-time jobs. The cubes were small enough for him to carry in his backpack and paint on the subway.

Can you find a tile that shows two famous San Francisco sights? Count 61 columns from the right and 10 rows up from the bottom, and you'll find one showing the Golden Gate Bridge and a Cable Car.

Stop 3

If you are facing the artwork turn right and walk to the end of the terminal. Find the Aviation Library and Museum. The San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum contains books and artifacts about the history of aviation. Find the giant world globe in the window. This globe was donated by Pan American World Airways and was constructed for the 1939 World's Fair held on Treasure Island.

Stop 4

If the museum is open, go inside and look around. The museum was modeled on SFO's passenger waiting room that was in use from 1937 to1954. During this time period, passengers checked in for their flights in a building similar to this room.

The two large airplane models hanging from the ceiling are a Fokker FVIIB-3m Southern Cross, which in May 1928 became the first airplane to cross the Pacific Ocean, and a United Airlines DC-3A-SB3G named the City of San Francisco, which was in use during the 1940s. The DC3 was the first passenger transport airplane to provide profits for airline passenger service.

The museum also displays special exhibits. The museum staff will be happy to give you information about what is currently on view.

Stop 5

Exit the museum, turn left, and walk toward the front of the terminal. Along the way you'll pass a series of glass cases. Did you know that SFO is an accredited museum? The airport has 16 exhibition spaces throughout the terminals, and this is one of them. The exhibition in this case changes approximately every six months. What is currently on display? Take a minute to explore.

Stop 6

Keep walking toward the front of the building and follow the signs for "Baggage Claim," taking the escalator downstairs to the Arrivals Level. Continue straight ahead. Can you find an aeronautical map of the world on the floor? This is an art installation named On the Air and was created by Lewis DeSoto. Inserted into the floor are 12" circular white bronze plaques representing the pilot approach maps—the route a pilot follows to land at an airport—of 176 of the most heavily traveled international airports. Can you find the San Francisco plaque?

Stop 7

Continue straight ahead and take the escalator back up to the Departures Level. On your right is another escalator. Take it up to the Air Train station. Board the Red Line, and if there is space be sure to sit up front for the best view. Make a round trip and take the 9 minute ride all the way back to the International Terminal G stop—along the way you'll get a good view of SFO's airfield.

Stop 8

Exit the G station and take the escalators down to return to the International Terminal.